Cotton-cultivator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H 0 HUGHES COTTON GULTIVATOR.

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H. G. HUGHES. COTTON GULTIVATOR.

No. 449,418. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. IIUGI-IES, OF GILLSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

COTTON-CU LTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,418, dated March31, 1891. Application filed October 25, 1890- Serial No. 369,286. (Nomodel.)

T0 to whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gillsburg, in the county of Amite and State of Mississippi,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Cultivators;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a new and improved cotton-cultivator which canbe changed to operate with either a reciprocating or a revolving hoe orchopping-blades, this change being effected in a few moments by anyperson; and my invention comprises other new and novel features, as willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view ofmy new and improved cotton-cultivator, showing the reciprocating hoearranged 111 its operative po sition. Fig. 2 is a perspective rear viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan View showing the cultivator arrangedwith the rotary hoes or choppers. Fig. 4: is a detail view of one of thescrapers. it

The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the several parts bytheir designating'numerals, 1 indicatesthe tongue of my new and improved cotton-cultivator, and 2 indicates myiron axle, which is preferably two and one-half inches in diameter. Thetongue is mounted on the axle by means of a boxing 3, passing around theaxle and secured to the lower side of the tongue, collars 4: holding thetongue at the center of the axle. A brace 5 connects the tongue with theaxle on the left-hand side of the tongue, the rear end of this brace-rodbeing curved around the axle in an eye. The main wheels 6 are rigidlysecured on the ends of the revolving iron axle, and upon the right-handend of the axle is adjustably secured a large bevel-wheel 7, either bymeans of a set-screw passing through its hub or by a key 8, fitting ina'longitudinal groove 2, which is formed in the right-hand half of theaxle. IVith this large bevel-wheel meshes a bevel-pinion 9, the deepsides of which are formed with a series of radial openings 10, which arethreaded, for the purpose hereinafter specified. This pinion ispivotally mounted on the outer end of a supporting-arm 11, bolted at itsinner end to the side of the tongue.

Across the hollow back of the pinion is secured a bearing-plate 12,having pivot-openings 12 formed in it at different distances from itscenter to regulate the length of stroke of the pitmau 1-3. This pitmanis secured at its outer end by a pivot-bolt 14, Se cured in either oneof the openings 12, and its inner end is mounted on a short crankshaft15. The inner end of this crank-shaft is mounted in a longitudinalopening 1, formed in the rear end of the tongue, while its outer end ismounted in the rear end of a metal bracket 16, bolted to the rear end ofthe tongue. The projecting rear end of the crank-shaft is squared, andits extremity is threaded for the reception of a nut 17.

18 indicates the reciprocating hoe, the stem of which is formed with aseries of square openings 18 to adapt it to fit on the squared rear endof the crank-shaft, and by means of this series of openings thecutting-blade can be raised or lowered to the height desired.

On the rear end of the tongue, on each side thereof, are bolted thestems 19 19 of two scrapers, the upper part of these stems being formedwith a series of holes 19, so that they can be raised orlowered toadjust the height of the blades 20 on their lower ends. Thescraping-blades are of the form shown, having their inner vertical edges20 bent at a considerable angle to the body of the blade, and are boltedto the flat lower ends of the stem 19, the said ends being formed withtwo series of bolt-holes 19, so that the blades can be moved to increaseor decrease the space between their inner edges. To the rear end of thetongue are secured by the bolts 21 the two U-shaped standards 22 22,having at their lower ends the-blades 23, and the rear parts of theseframes 22 are connected by a bracket 24, through the ends of which passadj ustingscrews 25, the inner ends of which bear against the frames 22,so that by turning these screws the space between the blades 23 can beincreased or lessened, as desired. It will be seen that when the machineis drawn forward the bevel-wheel 7 will revolve the pinion 9 and the hoe18 will, through the connecting-pitman 13, be reciprocated to each sideat regular intervals. The blades 20 scrape eachside of the rowin advanceof the reciprocating cutting-blade, while the blades 23 mold or shapethe hill after each stroke of the hoe.

hen a revolving cutter is desired, the bracket 16 is removed, and alsothe crankshaft, the pitman 13, and the reciprocating hoe. Thebevel-pinion 9 is then removed from the arm 11 (which is also taken off)and mounted on a pivot-bolt 26, which screws firmlyinto the opening 1 inthe rear end of the tongue. The large bevel-wheel 7 is then slid in onthe axle until it meshes again with the bevel-pinion, and is there keyedfirmly in position. 27 represent cutting-blades, the stems or handles 28of which are threaded at their ends and screw into the series of radialopenings 10 in the bevelpinion. One, two, or more of these blades may bethus set in position, and as the large bevel-wheel 7 revolves with theaxle it revolves the bevelpinion with its cutting-blades, thus giving aneffective and thoroughly practical rotary hoe or cutter. The U shape ofthe frames 22 gives room for the revolving blades, as will be seen. TheU-shaped frames 22 can be readily detached from the machine and stillleave a complete cotton-cultivator.

A U-shaped frame 29 is secured upon the tongue at the point shown, and atransverse rod 30 passes through the upper end of this frame and throughhandles 31, which are bolted at their forward ends to the tongue of themachine. and extend back at their rear handle ends to the back of themachine within convenient reach of the driver. It will now be seen thatby taking hold of these handles and raising their rear ends the drivercan swing the forward end of the tongue down, elevating its rear end soas to lift the several blades out of the ground,which is very necessarywhen a stump or. other obstruction is met or in driving the machine fromone field to another.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of myinvention will be readily understood.

It will be seen that my new and improved cotton-cultivator is strong anddurable in its construction and exceedingly effective in its operation,and that it can be changed in a few moments from a reciprocating to arotary cutter.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the revolving axle, the tongue mounted thereon andhaving the longitudinal opening 1 in its rear end, the removable bracketlfi, the large bevel-wheel adj ustably secured on the axle, thebevelpinion 9, mounted on a removable supporting-arm formed with theseries of radial threaded openings 10 and having the bearing-plate 12secured to it, the removable crank-shaft, the conneeting-pitman havingthe pivot-bolt at its outer end, and the reciprocating hoe adapted to bemounted on the rear end of the crank-shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cultivator, the combination of the U shaped frames 22, securedat their forward ends to the machine and having the blades at theirlower ends, the bracket 24, connecting the rear part of said frames, andthe adjusting-screws 25, working in the ends of the bracket and bearingagainst the frames 22, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

LOGAN PHILLIPS, W. K. NE'r'rLEs.

